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Jefferson River near Three Forks

Highest listed crest 9.88 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft54 crests since 1979

The Jefferson River near Three Forks crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 54 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2018. The highest, 9.88 ft on January 3, 1997, was major flooding, 1.88 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.88 ft
January 3, 1997
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.0 ft
Crests at major
5
9th of 93 gauges in Montana
Most recent flood crest
June 22, 2018
8.45 ft, minor flooding
Location
Broadwater County
Montana

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Jefferson River near Three Forks
Action stage7.014Jun 2, 2009The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.04Jun 22, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.55May 29, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.05Jun 12, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

54 crests from 1979 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Jefferson River near Three Forks, 1979 to 2018 246810ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 9.0 ft May 29, 1979: 6.40 ft, below flood stage; 8,430 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1979: 7.32 ft, action stageJun 17, 1980: 6.77 ft, below flood stage; 9,500 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1980: 9.39 ft, major floodingMay 24, 1981: 8.06 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1982: 7.63 ft, action stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1982: 8.89 ft, moderate floodingJun 1, 1983: 6.77 ft, below flood stage; 9,560 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1983: 7.63 ft, action stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1984: 8.51 ft, moderate flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1984: 8.94 ft, moderate floodingApr 14, 1985: 5.82 ft, below flood stage; 6,390 cubic feet per secondNov 15, 1985: 7.36 ft, action stageJun 2, 1986: 6.87 ft, below flood stage; 9,360 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1986: 7.60 ft, action stageMay 29, 1987: 4.67 ft, below flood stage; 3,610 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1987: 6.81 ft, below flood stageJun 3, 1988: 4.86 ft, below flood stage; 4,010 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1988: 7.22 ft, action stageMay 12, 1989: 4.60 ft, below flood stage; 3,910 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1989: 6.63 ft, below flood stageJun 12, 1990: 4.56 ft, below flood stage; 4,050 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1991: 7.63 ft, action stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1991: 6.55 ft, below flood stageJul 5, 1992: 3.95 ft, below flood stage; 2,400 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1993: 5.79 ft, below flood stage; 6,300 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1994: 6.22 ft, below flood stageApr 25, 1994: 5.01 ft, below flood stage; 4,270 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1995: 9.00 ft, major flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1996: 8.17 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1997: 9.88 ft, major floodingJun 11, 1997: 9.20 ft, major flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1997: 7.85 ft, action stageJun 28, 1998: 7.13 ft, action stage; 9,020 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1999: 7.27 ft, action stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1999: 7.85 ft, action stageFeb 2, 2000: 6.08 ft, below flood stageMay 31, 2000: 4.76 ft, below flood stage; 3,060 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2001: 4.89 ft, below flood stage; 3,270 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2002: 6.17 ft, below flood stage; 6,270 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2003: 7.72 ft, action stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2004: 4.97 ft, below flood stageJun 12, 2004: 4.71 ft, below flood stage; 3,120 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2005: 5.64 ft, below flood stage; 5,040 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2006: 6.97 ft, below flood stage; 8,480 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2007: 5.68 ft, below flood stage; 4,900 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2008: 7.20 ft, action stage; 8,600 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2009: 7.47 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2010: 8.77 ft, moderate flooding; 14,700 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2011: 9.38 ft, major flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2011: 8.33 ft, minor floodingApr 29, 2012: 6.64 ft, below flood stage; 7,220 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2018: 8.53 ft, moderate flooding; 14,288 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2018: 8.45 ft, minor flooding; 13,244 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.88 ft, Jan 3, 1997 1980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Jefferson River near Three Forks 1970s: 0 1980s: 5 5 1990s: 4 2000s: 0 2010s: 5 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 54 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Jefferson River near Three Forks
1Jan 3, 19979.88+1.88Major—
2Dec 10, 19809.39+1.39Major—
3Jun 12, 20119.38+1.38Major17,400
4Jun 11, 19979.20+1.20Major16,700
5Jun 9, 19959.00+1.00Major17,000
6Dec 14, 19848.94+0.94Moderate—
7Dec 9, 19828.89+0.89Moderate—
8Jun 20, 20108.77+0.77Moderate14,700
9May 29, 20188.53+0.53Moderate14,288
10Jun 24, 19848.51+0.51Moderate15,200
11Jun 22, 20188.45+0.45Minor13,244
12Dec 15, 20118.33+0.33Minor—
13Jun 12, 19968.17+0.17Minor13,000
14May 24, 19818.06+0.06Minor15,900
15Dec 15, 19977.85−0.15Action—
16Dec 15, 19997.85−0.15Action—
17Jun 2, 20037.72−0.28Action11,500
18Jun 19, 19827.63−0.37Action12,500
19Jun 19, 19837.63−0.37Action12,500
20Jun 9, 19917.63−0.37Action11,900
21Dec 12, 19867.60−0.40Action—
22Jun 2, 20097.47−0.53Action10,100
23Nov 15, 19857.36−0.64Action—
24Dec 17, 19797.32−0.68Action—
25May 31, 19997.27−0.73Action10,800
26Dec 19, 19887.22−0.78Action—
27Jun 7, 20087.20−0.80Action8,600
28Jun 28, 19987.13−0.87Action9,020
29Jun 12, 20066.97−1.03Below flood stage8,480
30Jun 2, 19866.87−1.13Below flood stage9,360
31Dec 17, 19876.81−1.19Below flood stage—
32Jun 17, 19806.77−1.23Below flood stage9,500
33Jun 1, 19836.77−1.23Below flood stage9,560
34Apr 29, 20126.64−1.36Below flood stage7,220
35Dec 20, 19896.63−1.37Below flood stage—
36Dec 30, 19916.55−1.45Below flood stage—
37May 29, 19796.40−1.60Below flood stage8,430
38Mar 2, 19946.22−1.78Below flood stage—
39Jun 4, 20026.17−1.83Below flood stage6,270
40Feb 2, 20006.08−1.92Below flood stage—
41Apr 14, 19855.82−2.18Below flood stage6,390
42May 22, 19935.79−2.21Below flood stage6,300
43Jun 10, 20075.68−2.32Below flood stage4,900
44May 22, 20055.64−2.36Below flood stage5,040
45Apr 25, 19945.01−2.99Below flood stage4,270
46Jan 11, 20044.97−3.03Below flood stage—
47Jun 16, 20014.89−3.11Below flood stage3,270
48Jun 3, 19884.86−3.14Below flood stage4,010
49May 31, 20004.76−3.24Below flood stage3,060
50Jun 12, 20044.71−3.29Below flood stage3,120

The worst floods along the Jefferson River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Jefferson River that crested above flood stage within a week.

June 11, 1997: 9.20 ft here, major flooding

  • Twin BridgesMT · Jun 9, 1997 · 12.42 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the Jefferson River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Jefferson River
Twin BridgesMT10.012.42 ft, Jun 9, 19972
Three Forks this gaugeMT8.09.88 ft, Jan 3, 19975

Other gauges in Broadwater County

Flood gauges in Broadwater County
Toston10.512.22 ft, Jun 12, 19971

Broadwater County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Montana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TFKM8, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.